The Department of Education has reversed course on the use of video conferencing program Zoom after reaching a new security arrangement with the company.
The DOE initially banned staffers from using Zoom earlier this month after a series of high-profile security breaches across the country tarnished trust in the popular application.
Bad actors known as “Zoombombers” had the potential to hack into chats and spew offensive material.
The abrupt prohibition frustrated teachers and administrators, many of whom had invested time and energy composing Zoom-based remote education for their students.
Many educators abandoned live instruction after the Zoom ban while others switched over to other platforms.
But the department said Wednesday that it’s lifted the restriction and has renewed confidence in the program.
“The security of our students and staff is paramount, and we’ve worked with Zoom to create a tailored platform that provides the safety and functionality schools need to engage in remote learning,” said schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. “I’m happy that Zoom has addressed vulnerabilities over the last few weeks and effective immediately, our community can safely use the Department of Education licensed Zoom account for remote learning.”
Several parents told The Post Thursday that they hope the resumption of Zoom use will produce improved engagement with city kids with schools shuttered indefinitely due to the coronavirus.
The reconciliation comes just in time for a scheduled Zoom video meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy on Thursday night.
The DOE was forced to abort a prior attempt at a PEP meeting earlier this month after another conferencing application failed to function properly.
“We are proud that the New York City Department of Education has made Zoom available as an approved home-based learning platform to educators and staff across the city for secure and frictionless remote education to the city’s over 1.1 million students,” Zoom said in a statement.